For most men it is a time of football, food and last minute shopping panic. For women it's hours of meticulous planning and secrecy that can all come unraveled with the ringing of a single doorbell. Call it coincidence, call it unfortunate timing, I will call it a "bunch of jackwagons in the world of holiday shipping".

Here is what happened at our house. My wife ordered a very special Christmas gift for my daughter Anna. It was to come in two different shipments. The first shipment came last Friday before Anna got home from school. I retrieved the package from the front porch where it had been left. I thought to myself, "good thing I got here first", because the contents of the package were printed in big letters on the side of the box.

Yesterday as I was on a conference call in my office at home my doorbell rang. Then it rang and rang and rang and rang some more. It's as if someone was leaning on the darn thing.

My daughter realized that I was on a call in the office went to the door to see what the commotion was. The package delivery person had left a large box leaning against the doorbell. Yes, it was leaning on the doorbell! That wasn't the worst part.

On the side of the large box leaning against the doorbell the contents of the box were printed in big bold letters. Anyone who could read could identify what was in the box. The Christmas surprise was officially ruined since the package in question was for my daughter.

Why would you print the contents of a package on the outside of a shipping container?

Is that not a security hazard? In this day and age where almost every package is dropped off at a front door, why would you advertise the valuable contents of the package with printing so large that it can be read from the street? Seems to me the plain brown box would be a much better option.

The whole idea of package pick up and shipping is a cluster anyway. Why is it that when you are required to sign for a package they try to deliver it at ten am. They then leave a note saying they will try back again tomorrow. When they do attempt a second delivery it is again at ten am. You're still not home to sign for it. Attention shippers: People who can afford to purchase items to be shipped to their homes have jobs. They are working during the day.

My biggest gripe about the first and second attempt to deliver is the fact that I am not getting what I paid dearly for. That two day shipping has now turned into four days or even longer if the package delivery was attempted on a Friday.

I feel very badly for my wife. She works really hard to make sure the kids have at least one surprise at Christmas time. Now, thanks to the brilliant shipping department of a well known mail order house that little bit of Christmas joy has been taken away.

'Tis the season, I can already feel the angst and anxiety building up within me. I only have a few more days left to endure the madness. The gift giving season can't end soon enough for me.